10 Questions You Should to Know about Aerospace Machined Parts

Kevin Lichtenberg currently serves as the product manager for Yasda at Methods Machine Tools. Kevin has more than 30 years of sales and operations leadership in the machine tool industry. In addition to his extensive experience working with machine tool builders, distributors and their customers, Lichtenberg was also a machine tool customer and user himself prior to joining the team at Methods, leading a precision machine shop and hydraulic fixture builder based in Wisconsin.

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What are the biggest challenges faced by aerospace manufacturers in ?

The number one issue I hear from most customers I talk to, including aerospace customers, is the lack of available labor, especially skilled machinists. This is true for first shift and especially for night shifts and weekend work.

While the workforce strains to meet capacity, aerospace components in the supply chain seem to be returning close to pre-pandemic levels, so demand is continuing to grow. Secondly, many machine shops are not getting clear direction from their customers regarding forecasting of work coming in. This makes it critically important for shops to stay flexible and responsive when it comes to having setups ready to go, and capacity available for quick response.

What attributes are aerospace manufacturers looking for typically when they consider machine tools?

Due to the geometry of many typical aerospace components, 5-axis machines are typical for the aerospace industry. Not only are 5 axes of motion required to machine many structural and engine parts, a 5-axis machining center can also reduce the cost of manufacturing more basic parts by reducing 5, 6 or more setups to as few as 1 or 2.

Typical aerospace customers are also looking for machine tools either dedicated to the speed and performance necessary to machine aluminum, the torque and machine rigidity necessary to machine hard metals, or the versatility to flex back and forth for both hard and soft materials. I believe that the leading aerospace machine shops are also looking at attributes to improve their profitability, accuracy, and the ability to automate for unattended production time.

Why is Yasda positioned so well for making aerospace parts?

With Yasda it all starts with accuracy and geometric stability. This is even more critical when it comes to 5-axis machining, where the angular errors present in most other machine tool structures and rotary axes can trig out to real world error that can be hard to compensate for when machining the most demanding aerospace components.

Yasda’s in-house-made rotary tables are typically 10 times more accurate than general purpose machining center tables. This level of precision can make the difference between a good part and a costly scrapped part coming off your machine after a few hundred hours of machining time!

Yasda also utilizes massive cast iron components for the bed and uprights of their machine tools, with either box ways or linear roller ways attached to hand scraped precision way seats. This combination helps to absorb the cutting forces and vibration created by machining hard materials and super alloys.

On top of the geometric perfection Yasda strives for during component assembly, they also employ thermal control of the machine structure and moving elements of the machine tool to ensure stable operation throughout the day and night.

Finally, Yasda has a unique spindle design that offers extreme versatility to aerospace manufacturers looking for a spindle that can handle a wide range of materials. Yasda designs and assembles their own spindles and grinds the tapers in place to achieve typical runout of less than a micron!

They also utilize a proprietary self-adjusting preload system for the spindle bearings that provides a high preload for lower rpm, high torque cutting and a lighter preload for high speed cutting. The result is an extremely versatile spindle that is built to last a lifetime due to its precise construction.

With aerospace travel on track to surpass pre-COVID levels and air defense spending at a high, what can manufacturers do to keep up with demand?

Invest in the right machine tool for the job! In almost all situations, higher accuracy and quality machine tools will make you more money as a business.

Yasda machine tools are process changers. What I mean by that, is to achieve tight tolerances – let’s say a few “tenths” or less — most any machine tool can get the job done with the right machinist in front of the machine, and with enough time back and forth between inspection and the machine. But at what cost?

The highest precision offered by a machine tool like a Yasda can let you do that same work with less operator intervention and in far less time, and often with fewer or no secondary operations to finish the part.

Also, invest in automation. Multiple pallets are the most basic form of automation, and they allow more than one setup to be ready and waiting for that variable workload that your customers are going to toss your way.

The Yasda PX30i, for example, has built-in automation with a 33 pallet magazine, a 323 position tool-changer, and all the other features necessary to let you run staffed during first shift and unattended for night shifts and weekends.

Taking steps like this can help your business differentiate itself from your competition and make you a valuable partner for your customers!
 
 
 

How does Methods support its aerospace customers to meet these challenges?

First and foremost, we are located where our customers are. With offices in California, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and our home office in Massachusetts, we are focused on providing the best local service and support in the industry.

In areas where we are not direct, we work through some of the leading distributors in North America for the same local service and support, backed up by Methods’ national service team.

Finally, we offer a full range of products suited well for our aerospace customers, from entry-level to the top of the pyramid in the machine tool industry: Yasda. Whether it’s basic 3-axis vertical machining centers or full 5-axis capability our customers are looking for, Methods is a one-stop-shop for aerospace CNC machining needs.

One of the drivers in our success is through experience and rigorous development of digital manufacturing tools. We have found the right blend of working with autonomous digital tools and hands-on application engineers to meet aerospace demands.

Want more information on Aerospace Machined Parts? Feel free to contact us.

When starting the digital manufacturing process with many manufacturers, it can be easy to upload a CAD file into multiple online quoting tools.

Unfortunately, some manufacturers' online quoting tools don’t take into account all of the back-end requirements, or offer all of a manufacturer’s processes. This is where we choose to be upfront so that each step required for the part or project is reflected in the initial quote.

When using online digital tools, quoting software can greatly accelerate development and production cycles.

However, to get the most out of these tools, make sure you are working with software (and a manufacturer) that includes the following: 

• Takes into account all requirements and steps of the build or project
• Offers all available processes and materials 
• Offers trained and experienced staff with years of manufacturing experience 

A major challenge in the aerospace and defense industry is on-time delivery and quality. Industry sources say around 80% of orders generally show up on time. Yet, when those orders do show up on time, about 25% of parts do not meet the required quality. A common complaint from aerospace companies is when vendors promise a lead time with a cheaper price but could not deliver within the timeline quoted. Delays have led to missed deadlines and greater costs to fix than if they would have just started with the higher-priced vendor.

Our online, interactive quoting system turns your CAD model into a quote with immediate design analysis and feedback. Your design can be reworked to determine the ideal balance of processes, materials, time, and cost. This greatly increases efficiency as it isn’t necessary to talk with someone every time a part is needed. But when you need a knowledgeable person on your side, we have a team of applications engineers ready to back up our automated tools. All contacts, customer or not, get free access to our responsive team that understands how to design for our processes, reduce cost, and answer a myriad of other technical questions.

2. Reduce Components to Benefit Product Design

You may want to reduce overall components in a part or product design for several reasons.

First, lightweighting is crucial in aerospace. Companies know just how many ounces of fuel it takes to fly a gram of weight in flight, for example, so slight reductions drive major gains. The choice of materials, and sometimes the method of manufacturing, also factor into this lightweighting equation. But trimming part count helps, too.

Second, cutting costs is important. Plastics and metals can be expensive, and so can assembly time. Accordingly, if designs can lessen the number of components or parts, this can reduce materials and assembly time.

With these lightweighting and cost considerations in mind, which materials work best for aerospace components? Titanium is often a go-to choice, available through machining and 3D printing services. This lightweight and strong material offers excellent corrosion and temperature resistance. Aluminum, and its high strength-to-weight ratio makes it a good candidate for housing and brackets that must support high loading. Aluminum also is available for both machined and 3D-printed parts. Inconel, a 3D-printed metal, is a nickel chromium superalloy ideal for rocket engine components and other applications that require high-temperature resistance. Stainless steel also is a frequent materials choice. For example, SS 17-4 PH is used in the aerospace industry due to its high strength, good corrosion resistance, and good mechanical properties at temperatures up to 600 degrees F. Like titanium, it can be machined or 3D printed. Liquid silicone rubber is also widely used in the industry. This elastic fluorosilicone material is specifically geared toward fuel and oil resistance while optical silicone rubber is a good PC/PMMA alternative. Common applications in aerospace include soft-touch surfaces, gaskets, seals, and O-rings.

Finally, beyond lightweighting and cost cutting issues, the aerospace industry faces unique benefits and challenges with high risks and rewards. Companies are concerned with development cycles, prototyping, hot-fire testing, and production. So, while component reduction can help reduce part weight and assembly time, the real savings are in the reduction of the headaches and overhead associated with the supply chain and paper trail for each part. In aerospace, each component that goes into the final product has a tremendous amount of validation behind it such as material traceability, shock and vibe tests, rigorous inspections, and much more. In such a regulated industry, reducing parts can provide great value by reducing inventory, having fewer documents to track, and streamlining your supply chain.

3. Deploy a Range of Manufacturing Methods, Materials

If you have an internal machine shop but have to deal with a lot of different types of manufacturing in a small space, you might have taken projects to outside vendors for development work. It is important to find the right vendor with the capacity to meet your high demands for quality and speed. You may know but it bears repeating that there are no universal processes or materials. You need all the tools in your arsenal to find the best solutions to stay on the cutting edge. Therefore, work with companies that are able to offer a range of manufacturing processes and materials. We offer CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, and six different industrial-grade 3D printing (additive manufacturing) methods. Additionally, you can choose from hundreds of commercial-grade plastics, metals, and elastomers that are suitable for both prototyping and production. See our Materials Comparison Guide for a complete list.

We use multiple additive processes: stereolithography, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), selective laser sintering, Multi Jet Fusion, Carbon DLS, and PolyJet. DMLS has proven to be a desirable process in the aerospace industry because it offers:

• large range of materials
• increased functionality
• ability to accommodate complexity and organic designs

DMLS does have a limited build space. However, we also offer large-format metal parts. We can build production-grade metal parts as large as 31.5 in. x 15.7 in. x 19.7 in. (800mm x 398mm x 500mm). We are initially focusing on Inconel 718 as a material to use to better serve the demand for larger complex parts in the aerospace industry. This large-format metal 3D printing, from our GE Additive Concept Laser X-Line machine, also is an example of how our company is technology agnostic, using machines, equipment, and processes sourced from a variety of companies.

Beyond the manufacturing methods referenced (subtractive and additive), we also offer a number of secondary or finishing options, if your design calls for these applications:

• Post-process machining - for 3D-printed metal parts
• Heat treatment - including HIP for 3D printed parts
• Additional plating
• Anodizing
• Basic assembly
• Chromate plating
• Cleaning
• Electroless nickel plating
• Part marking
• Passivation
• Powder coating
• Press fit and hardware
• Silkscreening

If you need several vendors for different processes or secondary processes, remember the benefits mentioned earlier about using one supplier with multiple processes. We offer many processes and materials while operating as a local vendor to reduce time and costs.

In addition, as we recently noted in our trend report on aerospace manufacturing, often the best solutions for aerospace and defense will involve a hybrid approach using multiple technologies in concert. Just as a traditional toolbox contains both hammer and pliers, so too do today’s advanced manufacturing operations house both additive and subtractive manufacturing systems and know-how.

4. Rely on Quality and Compliance Assurance

Finally, aerospace product designers and developers need to carefully navigate government and safety policy and compliance issues. Working in such a highly regulated industry, it is important to find vendors familiar with aerospace requirements. Traceability, documentation, testing, and certified parts that are USA/ITAR compliant in an ISO environment can decrease much of the work needed to be done, tested, or verified in house. 

Governing bodies are continuously working on standards for additive manufacturing, so knowing exactly what is needed may be difficult to find for non-traditional processes. However, standards or certifications for finished parts apply no matter how it was manufactured. You will want to make sure vendors have certified materials, powder analysis, material traceability, and more depending on your needs.   

We have already invested heavily in digital manufacturing methods to provide you with automated tools, documentation, testing, and traceability, all supported by our applications engineers, delivering you a streamlined and efficient digital thread. We offer the following quality documentations and report options in an ISO , AS certified, USA/ITAR compliant environment: 

• Material certifications and heat lot numbers
• Certificate of conformance (CoC) 
• First article inspections (FAI) - including AS FAI for 3D-printed parts
• Various other inspection requests such as CMM, X-Ray or CT scanning

Ultimately, we will work with you to find the best solution and consider all steps of your project. If you would like more information, contact our applications engineers at 877-479-, us at [ protected], or start your design today by uploading your 3D CAD model to receive an interactive quote within hours. 

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